Kat's SB-600 Flash questions

[kat]

Well..I've started a serious reading. Now to start a thread for questions.

After 30 mins of playing I realized wireless still meant that I had to have a flash on my camera and then other flashes that I can set up to go with it. So with that, I realized I need a cord in order to use my one flash off camera.

My choices are the Sb-29/28 or 17.

Any thoughts on which to get? Because I would like the ability to have my flash off camera, and right now another flash isn't in the future for a while.

[Marko]

After 30 mins of playing I realized wireless still meant that I had to have a flash on my camera and then other flashes that I can set up to go with it. So with that, I realized I need a cord in order to use my one flash off camera.

This is incorrect Kat. The flash does NOT have to be on camera.

You DO need a way to trigger the flash tho.
a - Cheap solution - a sync wire between camera and flash.
b - pricier - a remote triggering mechanism like pocket wizard. (Where one piece attaches to the camera, and the other piece attaches to the flash)

Hope that helps - Marko

[kat]

Yes, I think.

To go wireless, I still need something at my base. That would be either the wire to my first flash source then wireless to the rest or get the trigger remote, set that to the first (boss-whatever it would be called) flash source then wireless to that.

Ha ha..what I was trying to do..was just use my camera and somehow wireless it would set my flash off... ;) Yah..that didn't last long till I read on in the manual.

As much as I think it would be nice to use the trigger remote (no wires) I think for now I'll go with the wire. Now to figure out which one. From what I read..each wire can do something?

Anyone use these wires?

[tirediron]

What [camera] body do you have? Your on-board flash should have the ability to act as a commander, and your SB-600 as a wireless slave.

[kat]

Nikon D40X. Hmmm..see I did read that somewhere and that was what I was trying to do but couldn't get a flash. Back to the manual.

[kat]

And after reading, nope, another thing my camera can't do. No built in command in it...

Can I cry now. Really really cry.

[tirediron]

No worries; hit eBay and search "Cactus Trigger". They're inexpensive flash triggers that don't quite have the features of a Pocket Wizard, but nor do they have the price. Keep your eye open for a used SB-800.

[kat]

Thanks for the tip!!!! :)

[tirediron]

This little toy (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/37086-REG/Nikon_3066_AS_15_Sync_Terminal_Adapter.html) will allow you to use a sync cord with your camera. This unit (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&Ntt=optical%20flash%20trigger&A=endecaSearch&N=0&Q=) (with the addition of a PC Sync cord) will trigger your SB-600 from the flash of your on-camera flash. Lots of options!

[kat]

Okay. Lots of options now!

[Vladimir Naumoff]

Get a Cactus V2s on eBay $29.99 works 8 out of 10 times inside and 9 out of 10 times outside for one flash works a lot better then with 2 flashes. Watch this on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5hTyVLYNZg
Chip and it works.

[Fortytwo]

The Cactus V4's are a little pricier, but are know to fail almost never. Where as the V2's would let you down sometimes, these don't. And much cheaper than pocketwizards still.

[kat]

Thanks. I've viewd the video and the V4 as well. Hoping I can get one when my hubby goes to vancouver next week.

[EJC]

Hi Kat

I bought Yongnuo CFR-301P radio flash triggers and have been very happy with them. I got 1 transmitter and 3 recievers. When I use the PC cord I have to wrap an elastic band around the cord plug in and unit to get a firm contact. Once I did this they are very reliable. Mounted on the flash hot shoe they are perfect except for one of my flash units which must have a wonky shoe. My flashes are Vivitat 283s. One of the reciever batteries died within a couple weeks but I had left the power switch on. Now I remove the batteries every time I'm done shooting (we really shouldn't leave batteries in for long periods of idlness anyway). They use the CR2 batteries which are about $17 each.

[Fortytwo]

Thanks. I've viewd the video and the V4 as well. Hoping I can get one when my hubby goes to vancouver next week.

You're waiting for him to leave the house so you can go out and buy one behind his back? You women are all the same... :yell:

j/k ;)

[kat]

Thanks EJC!

Ha ha Fortytwo! :p

[F8&Bthere]

What about those little optical slave triggers sometimes called peanuts. I know they restrict position and distance to some degree of the slave flash, and the flash has to be manually set, but for playing around they are only $5 or less on ebay as I recall.

Like this one:
Optical Speedlight Flash Slave Trigger W/Hot Shoe PC - eBay (item 120514028121 end time Jan-09-10 19:20:39 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Optical-Speedlight-Flash-Slave-Trigger-W-Hot-Shoe-PC_W0QQitemZ120514028121QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Defa ultDomain_0?hash=item1c0f322259)

Too bad about your camera body, Kat. The Nikon CLS is a very nice thing with a SB-600, 800, or 900 (or multiples).

Edit: realizing these peanuts are pretty primitive to use on modern full-featured OEM flashes, but they are so inexpensive. The reason I bought one was that I had a really cheap old flash for my Pentax DSLR and when I read into it, I learned that the sync voltage was too high for my camera body and could cause damage, so I bought this as an easy way to trigger it off camera.